NBA's King of Talking

Chapter 568 Stockpiling Frontline

Jia Fei informed Huaxia that he needed to settle things here before returning to the team, and they could only agree. He wasn't affiliated with the local sports bureau, so they had no authority over him. Furthermore, he didn't believe that long training camps could significantly improve his skills; improving the league's quality and making it more professional and market-oriented was the right approach.

The football scene in China is rather average, but the basketball scene is exceptionally vibrant. From elementary school to university, basketball courts on school campuses are filled with students playing. Many communities and workplaces also have basketball courts, and there are plenty of people playing there. Even on many farms, there are many people playing basketball. There are countless amateur basketball tournaments.

However, China lacks professional coaches, scouts, and physical trainers. Many talented players are overlooked due to their height or other reasons. Many young players have not mastered the basics, and by the time they reach the youth team or above, some of their habits are difficult to change.

Anyone who has played basketball knows that a full-court game and a half-court game are not the same. However, in China, everyone plays half-court, and many habits from the half-court game feel very out of place when playing full-court.

On June 21, the 2019 NBA Draft was held at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

Jia Fei did not accompany the team to the draft, but he maintained contact with the team.

The top pick will unsurprisingly be Fat Tiger, and the second pick will be Gun King.

During the first round of the draft, renowned reporter Shams reported that the Clippers and Spurs had reached a trade agreement! The details of the trade are as follows: The Clippers sent their 15th overall pick in this year's draft (from the Pistons) and center Montrezl Harrell to the Spurs in exchange for their 19th overall pick in the first round and forward Kyle Anderson!

The news immediately caused quite a stir! The Clippers finally made their move and got rid of Harrell, the troublemaker during the playoffs.

Previously, some reporters had written articles speculating that the Clippers would trade Harrell during the offseason, because as a championship team, they would not allow anyone to cause trouble in the locker room.

But trading Harrell won't be easy. First, they need to find a suitable team, and the Clippers certainly don't want to give him away for nothing.

Strong teams generally wouldn't want Harrell, as his attributes dictate that he's only suited for the regular season. While his contract isn't exorbitant, it's not cheap either, and strong teams typically lack the salary cap space. However, weaker teams wouldn't see any need for him, while the Spurs needed to strengthen their roster and had the cap space, so the two sides quickly reached an agreement.

Although the Spurs were eliminated by the Clippers in the playoffs, the two teams are not strictly speaking rivals, so there isn't much of a deep grudge between them. Trades should be made when necessary; business doesn't involve much emotion.

Kyle Anderson signed a four-year, $37 million contract with the Spurs last offseason. The Spurs didn't actually need him much and had been looking to trade him for something else. Now they can get Harrell to strengthen their frontcourt and also get a higher draft pick. Why not?

With this, Kyle Anderson will be wearing a Clippers jersey next season!

This trade essentially means the Clippers gave up a center and gained a forward!

This was Jia Fei's idea. Their team's future strategy revolves around a small-ball lineup, a long-term plan. Harrell, as a center, can't protect the rim, his poor one-on-one defense requires his teammates to cover for him, which doesn't align with the team's development needs. Jia Fei also doesn't want to play a "suicidal small-ball" lineup consisting entirely of guards. Last season's five-forward lineup was very effective, and he wants to continue building up his forward roster.

Of course, the inside players aren't entirely unnecessary; they can be useful for certain teams. However, there's not a need for too many, and too much should not be invested in the inside. This is his core idea.

While Kyle Anderson isn't a great shooter, his other skills are exactly what the Clippers need. As a forward, he can handle the ball and has excellent playmaking abilities; he has good defensive awareness and is proficient in steals and help defense; offensively, although he's slow, he's quick-witted, has a variety of finishing moves, and a decent shooting percentage.

Acquiring such a versatile player will greatly help the Clippers' strategy of using a small lineup.

As soon as the news was announced, Jia Fei received a text message from Kyle Anderson.

"Bro, I'm going to join your team!"

"Welcome! You'll be wearing a championship ring soon!"

Jia Fei's words might seem like boasting, but Kyle Anderson had no doubts. If anyone in this league dared to say they were guaranteed to win the championship, it would definitely be Jia Fei!

The draft is still underway, and everyone is curious about who the Clippers will select with their 19th overall pick.

As a result, the Clippers selected Grant Williams, a forward from the University of Tennessee, with the 19th overall pick in the first round!

This was Jia Fei's idea. In his previous life, Ge Wei was selected by the Celtics with the 22nd pick in the first round, and no other player was more suitable for the Clippers at that position.

Jia Fei doesn't want Thybulle Bazley. While Gwyneth Paltrow is only 198cm tall, he's very strong and can defend tough forwards like Giannis Antetokounmpo or the "Running Man" (a nickname for a player who struggles with defense). The Clippers previously lacked this type of player! Furthermore, Paltrow has a reliable three-point shot, which is crucial for the Clippers. Role players without shooting ability are easily exploited by opponents, increasing the likelihood of star players being double-teamed.

Jia Fei had a deeper purpose in acquiring Ge Wei: to replace Gallinari.

Gallinari is indeed quite useful, with a three-point shot and decent scoring ability, but his defense is weak and he's fragile. Most importantly, he's too expensive...

A salary of over 2000 million dollars a year isn't explosive in this era, but the Clippers don't have much salary cap space. They're not a bottom-tier team that needs to fill the salary cap. They're trying to squeeze every penny out of them. Ballmer isn't short of money, but if they really exceed the cap, the team's room for maneuver will be very limited.

The Clippers acquired Big Hammer in a trade and drafted Gerald Williams, adding two forwards to their roster!

The Clippers also had a first-round draft pick, the 28th overall pick! But they traded that pick!

Shams then revealed that the Clippers and Cavaliers reached an agreement: the Clippers would send their 28th overall first-round draft pick to the Cavaliers in exchange for four second-round picks plus some cash!

This is also Jia Fei's idea! If the 28th pick can't get him the player he wants, then splitting the pick into n second-round picks and pinning his hopes on the future is a good solution. And with his clairvoyance, it's not impossible that these second-round picks will find suitable players.

Jia Fei needs to consider the team's future. The salary cap space of a championship team can easily explode. If too many rookies are selected in the same year, it will be easy to face the problem of contract renewal at the same time.